Jumping On The Bandwagon!

Some days I want to!
Some days I think it would be nice to be the same as everyone else!
Some days I want to follow the crowd.
Some days I want to feel as though I belong!

But then I come to my senses and realise God has so much me for me than to just follow the crowd.

You know, there are so many “Fads” or “ways of living” that you could subscribe to these days. Paleo, gluten free, raw eating, junk free June, boot camps, eating only banana’s and milk on a Tuesday and the list goes on (and on!)

Now, please don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with any of these things and if you are doing them for the right reasons, then I commend you.

But, I’m sorry, there seem to be so many people jumping on bandwagons because it is fashionable and they want to follow the crowd. They want to have things in common with people around them and so they make choices for the wrong reasons and post a million facebook status’s to convince the world (or themselves) that they are part of the in crowd.

C’mon people, surely we are more secure in who we are than that?

I have a couple of friends who have chosen the Paleo way of eating. They know it is something they are meant to be doing (for various reasons) and so they are fully committed! I admire their determination to change their way of eating and what that means for them and their families. It’s a genuine decision, prompted by God, to make positive changes in their lives. They actually don’t care what everyone else is doing.

Sometimes as we sit and chat I feel like the world’s unhealthiest person sitting there with my coke zero and my white bread sandwich while they sip their green juices and eat their healthy homemade fat-free goodies! Some days it would be nice to join in the conversation and feel like I was part of their club, to have that sense of belonging, to be a part of what they are doing. But instead I sit there and listen and continue to eat my gluten, fat filled, sugar laden treats!

I feel like an outsider and get tempted to jump on the bandwagon. I feel bad for making the choices I have made and so desperately want to be a part of their group.

But let’s be honest, it’s not my friends that are making me feel bad, but my own insecurities and low self-esteem that trigger these emotions. Not once have my friends judged me for my choices or made any comments that would make me feel any less of a person. Nope, it is all my own doing!

So many times I have had to examine my heart and reasons for doing things:

Am I doing it to fit in?
Am I doing it for friends approval?
Am I doing it for the world’s approval?

How many times have I posted something on facebook in the past looking for approval or acceptance? How many times have I made comments in the hope that someone would justify my position and make me feel better about my choices? How many times have I deleted a blog in case someone gets offended or doesn’t like it? Yep, I am guilty of looking for approval from man, rather than from God.

The God who made me.
The God who knows me better than I know myself.
The God who loves me unconditionally.
The God whose approval is all I need.

Now, please don’t get me wrong, I am all for healthy eating and improving our lives, but let’s make sure we are doing it for the right reasons. If you know it is right for you, then go for it with all you have! And if you have doubts that you are doing it for the right reasons……ask God!

So as I sit here and type, I am eating a slice of cake I made earlier this morning and man it is delicious! I don’t feel guilty, I don’t feel bad and I certainly don’t feel judged by my friends for eating it. In saying that, I am also looking forward to the long walk I have planned for later this afternoon! For me, (until God tells me otherwise) its all about moderation and balance, with some treats along the way!